Today I started to notice little green buds tipping off on trees. The sun was out and it felt like spring. A white squirrel tip-toed his way to a bird bath outside my back porch and helped himself to some water. Surely that’s a sign. That this is real spring.
I came home after a short afternoon walk to get some sunshine and my feet hurt. My shoes of choice are wearing down. I’ve favored them too much. I always have a pair of favorite shoes going, and these have been them for about two years now—a respectable streak, not the longest, but close.
They are slip-on shoes and over the last few years I’ve begun buying nothing but. There is no reason to further complicate life with laces (knots are not necessary for low-impact activities, and high-impact activities are not to be participated in). I picked up on this when house hunting, noticing that my realtors, a husband and wife team, both wore slip-ons. It makes sense when you’re showing a dozen or more houses a day. Kneeling down or finding a place to sit and untie, taking shoes off, putting them on. These are my realtor shoes. There is no sale in tying laces.
Soon spring will call for flip-flops, and I will wear them whenever I can. I’ve worn them in light snow on more than one occasion, no lie. Leisure is important, and appropriate footwear is critical. I have 3 pairs of slip-on shoes and 4 pairs of flip-flops. The quantity is strategic.
When I got home from my walk today I moved my winter type shoes into the closet. We are finished with each other until at least November, regardless of what the weather might have to say in the meantime.
My home has three exterior doors, and inside of each I place a pair of flip-flops and a pair of realtor shoes. That way when I want to pop outside I can do so without hunting for shoes or flip-flops, and without unnecessarily bending down for them. The 4th pair of flip-flops are for public shower rooms.
The changing of the shoes marks a time of simpler footwear. The shoes of this season do not need space-age waterproofing material, nor thermal lining. They should be comfortable and able to carry you along at a moderate pace on expected terrain. They should have good arch support and offer no surprises nor inconveniences. In spring, there is no time for tying and untying, for coming untied, for double-knotting and lace replacement. We’ve waited so long for winter to end. Why wait any longer?
My favorite shoes. My newest flip-flops (crocs).
Leave a comment